


Coming Home (For Christmas)

by squireofgeekdom



Category: Dollhouse, The West Wing
Genre: Gen, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2015-08-14
Packaged: 2018-04-14 17:40:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4573680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squireofgeekdom/pseuds/squireofgeekdom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"When I was lying on my face in the motel parking lot, you were the one I called."</p><p>Leo never ends up in the motel parking lot. He never makes the call. Someone else gets to him first.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home (For Christmas)

You haven’t heard from Leo in a while when you get the call.

You haven’t been in touch as often as you used to be - predictable, really, given your work in New Hampshire and Leo’s in DC - so you’re surprised to hear his voice on the end of the line.

“Leo!”

“Hey Jed,” He says, and he sounds tired, but when doesn’t he? “How’s New Hampshire?”

“It’s good, it’s good. Leo, how are you? Last I heard from you was when Liz started school.”

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping busy here.”

“You should come up to New Hampshire.Take a break, come for a visit!!”

“Nah. Nah. Too much on my plate right now.”

“You’re still coming for Christmas?”

“We’ll see.” And he almost sounds sad, but of course, he’s tired. There’s a woman’s voice on the other end of the line, you can’t hear what she’s saying to Leo but it sounds like she might be British.

“Listen,” Leo says, “I’m actually in the middle of a - a business meeting. I just wanted to check in. Hey, how’s Abbey? How are Liz and Ellie?”

“Abbey’s good. Everyone’s good. Leo, are you sure everything’s alright?”

“Don’t worry about it. Listen, I’ll talk to you later, alright?”

“Sure, Leo.” You tell him. “You take care of yourself, alright?”

“Yeah. You too, Jed” And he hangs up the phone.

“Honey?” Abbey walks into the room. “Who was that?”

“Leo,”

“How is he? Is he still coming for Christmas?”

“I don’t know, it sounds like he’s pretty busy.”

Leo’s always busy, so you don’t think much of it until two days later, when there’s a piece in the paper on the resignation of Leo McGarry, Secretary of Labor. When you call, all you get is a message that his phone has been disconnected.

_We’re sorry. The number you have dialed is not in service._

No one else has any better luck. For all intents and purposes, Leo’s gone.

_We’re sorry. The number you have dialed is not in service._

You stare at the phone in your hands while the rest of the family unwraps presents under the tree and wish you could stop thinking of when Leo told you how his father died.

\----

The next time you see him - really see him, not just see someone the right height with sandy hair and start to say his name - you’re on the other side of the country. Liz’s hand is tucked up in yours as she skips along, asking questions about the names on the stars on the Hollywood walk, and a familiar laugh across the street makes you look up.

Abbey looks at you, and then across the street at Leo, on the arm of a woman in a red dress. “Jed,” She says, half a gasp.

You nod, and she takes Liz’s hand from yours as you start to jog towards the next crosswalk.

“Leo!”

There’s nothing, no reaction, not even a twitch but it’s him, it’s definitely him, you’re sure this time.

“Leo!” You reach out, put a hand on his upper arm.

He turns around, smile fading, but there’s still no recognition on his face. “I’m sorry -?”

“Leo!” And you tighten your grip on his arm, as though maybe you can shake sense back into him. “It’s me! Where the hell have you been?”

“I’m sorry - who -?”

“I think you have the wrong person, sir.” The woman in the red dress says, stepping in, but she looks scared, you’re sure of that. “This is my fiancé, John Sampson.”

“Like hell - Leo, what’s she talking about?”

“I’m sorry,” Leo says. “I don’t think I know anyone named Leo.”

“Jed -” Abbey’s caught up to you, with Liz, and Ellie in the carriage.

“Uncle Leo?” Liz asks.

“I’m sorry -” He tells Liz, and he really does look confused. The woman in the red dress is fidgeting with her purse.

Leo looks at you. “Have we met somewhere before?”

There’s no adequate response to that that can be expressed in the time before a black van pulls up to the curb. “Is there a problem, ma’am?”

“Just a case of mistaken identity.” The woman says with a strained smile.

The driver looks over at Leo, who’s looking back and forth between you and the van, and then looks directly at you.

There are about ten different things you’d like to say, but the driver cuts you off before you can decide. “Let me give you a lift.” He says to the woman in red, and she and Leo walk towards the van.

“Leo!” Other heads turn when you shout this time, because this can’t be what’s happening, it can’t -

Leo turns back to you, pausing. “You know, I’m sure I have seen you before. Have you -”

“John,” And the woman in red steers him into the van as you stand dumbstruck on the pavement, Abbey’s hand white-knuckled on your arm.

You barely notice Liz ask Abbey “Where’s Uncle Leo going?”

“I don’t know, sweetie.” She says, and you’re left staring at the pavement.

\----

You don’t see him again that year, or the next.

The third Christmas since his phone call, the doorbell rings.

“Who comes caroling out here in the middle of nowhere?” Abbey calls from the kitchen. “You got it, babe?”

“I got it -” You call back, your hand already on the doorknob. You’re still half facing the kitchen when you open the door, so you hear him before you see him.

“Hey, Jed.”

He’s standing on the porch, stamping snow off his boots, with a teetering pile of presents in his arms, and all you can do is stare, dumbfounded.

He looks up with hangdog eyes. “Sorry I’m late.” He says, “Can I come in?”

You let him in.

**Author's Note:**

> One of a set of crossover requests on tumblr that grew beyond its bounds.


End file.
